


Black Clover

by PotatoSlayer



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 03:36:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18422001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotatoSlayer/pseuds/PotatoSlayer





	1. Chapter 1

The sun cast a beautiful light on the hillside as it dipped below the horizon.  It drenched the sky from orange to a deep crimson.   Kalyn couldn’t stop herself from gazing upon it.  Something about the reflection of the light in the sky had her mesmerized, tantalized by a foreign grasp.  Despite the sun still shining, a cool breeze whisked up the hillside, throwing her already windswept hair back from her face.  The longer braided lock flopped back and her bangs whipped up, creating a crimson orange halo around her head.  The shorter strands in back just tickled and danced against her neck.  She brushed some of the strands behind her ear as a warm fabric wrapped around her shoulders and she felt a comforting body step up beside her.

“Kalyn, it’s getting too cold for your tank top.  We need to get you a warmer dress.”

The boy was much taller than her and very lean.  He had a head of black hair that was an absolute mess, but made his orange eyes even more striking.  In contrast to her own outfit, he wore long sleeves with many belts and pale cream colored jeans.  Kalyn turned to look at the boy instead of the sun and a smile spread on her lips.  “I suppose you’re right.  As long as it won’t cause trouble.”

“Of course not.”  The boy answered.  He started to say something else when a smaller boy, standing farther up the hill shouted down at him.

“Hey Yuno!  It’s dinner time!  Come on!”

Yuno turned his attention to the top of the hill where the small boy stood and just behind him was a small church where they all lived.   He frowned a bit before promising, “I’ll be back.”

Kalyn smiled as  he hurried up the hill and she tucked the jacket closer to her body.  She didn’t feel cold.  But with the jacket came Yuno’s soft scent, which was what she wanted more than anything.

A short time later, the wonderful scent of home cooking wafted out of the windows of the church and Kalyn felt herself drawn to it.  She danced her way to the window of the church, peeking in on the family sitting around the table, laughing and enjoying their meal together.  Kalyn’s crimson gaze fell, a solemn feeling settling into the pit of her stomach.  She longed to be in that room with them.  In that place, eating that food.

But she knew better than to wish such things.

Long after the sun set, Kalyn found herself walking the halls of the church.  Most of the children had gone to bed for the night.  Most of those left walking around worked at the church.  She side stepped them and continued trotting along.  She pushed open the door to the boys sleeping room and slipped in.  She smiled as she passed the beds of the youngest sleeping children and made her way to the far end of the room where the oldest of the boys slept.  She smiled as she sat carefully on the edge of Yuno’s bed and gazed down at him.

She must have misjudged when they’d gone to sleep because his face twitched before his eyes opened.  He sat up and looked at her worriedly, “Kalyn, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.  I didn’t mean to disturb you.”  Kalyn told him, scratching her cheek.

Yuno gave her a long sidelong glance before turning and sitting on the edge of the bed with her.  He glanced past her and at the other children, checking that they were asleep.   He asked her, “Do you always come in here after we’ve gone to sleep?”

Kalyn frowned before nodding her head.  “Sorry.  I don’t have anything else to do… so I just come in here…”

Yuno looked down for the longest time, his expression dejected before Kalyn placed her hand on his and gave it a squeeze.  She waited for his squeeze in response before she told him, “Please don’t be upset… tomorrow is an important day.  You need to focus on resting.”

He looked back up at her, giving her a soft but stern look before adding, “It’s an important day for us both.  I promise not to let you down.”

Kalyn scoffed softly.  “You could never let me down, Yuno.”

The smallest smile curved his lips before he motioned to the bed.  “Come on.  If you promise to stay quiet you can rest in here with me.”  He didn’t even have to wait for a response from her, she was already crawling under the covers, like a little cartoon groundhog running around under the ground’s surface.  She poked her head up at the head of the bed as he slipped under the blanket and as soon as he lay down, she snuggled up to him, using his chest as a pillow as she often did.  Automatically he reached his hand up, stroking his fingers through her crimson and orange hair, twisting each lock between his fingers.  He continued to do that for a few moments before his hand came to rest on the back of her head.  It was followed moments later by his gentle breathing on the top of her head.

Kalyn lifted her head a bit, looking at Yuno’s sleeping face.  Her gaze softened.  She had the highest hopes for him.  For tomorrow.  For his future – even though she could never be a part of it.

The following morning, Yuno was stirred by Asta who was already rowdy and ready for the day.  He shook him violently and shouted, “Come on!  Today’s the day!  Let’s go!”  He turned and ran off the moment he saw Yuno open his eyes.

Yuno yawned and sat up, rubbing his face as he watched the other orphans all getting ready.  Kalyn sat up as well, leaning against his arm as she watched the children run around.  She looked up and asked, “Sleep okay?”

Yuno nodded, rubbing the top of her head before getting up.

Outside, Asta was still causing a commotion, proposing to one of the sisters of the church – again.

He held out a flower that he plucked from the field and shouted, “One day, I’ll become the wizard king and make you happy!  That’s why… please marry me!”

The sister gave a soft laugh and waved her hand.  “I’m sorry, Asta… I’m a nun, so…”

Asta let out a cry of dejection before jumping back up, “I’m not done yet!  I’m not giving up!”

“Asta, I can’t.” She insisted.

“Not giving up!  Not yet!”  He shouted back.

Over and over he insisted until the sister was  forced to draw a book and summon a magic fist of water that slammed down on Asta, making him finally shut up.  Despite that though, he still hopped up and shouted but the moment he did, Yuno used his own magic to blow him back over.

Kalyn giggled from behind him while Yuno scolded, “Are you causing the sister trouble again?”

A younger orphan added, “How many rejections will it take for you to get a hint?”

Asta cried, “Shut up you brats!  Yuno, why won’t sister say yes to me!?”

Yuno, without missing a beat, retorted, “You’re noisy, short, restless, immature… basically you have no qualities that appeal to women.”

This made Kalyn laugh harder.  “I second that.”

Asta shouted at him, “How could you say that to somone you grew up with for 15 years!?  You cold hearted jerk!”

Ignoring him completely, Yuno moved on to helping the sister while Asta continued to try and show off in his own way.

Kalyn looked between the two boys, a smile on her lips as she examined how two boys who grew up in the same environment, with the same people, with the same treatment could become so different.  Yuno had told her the story of how the two of them were both abandoned here at this church on the same day.  They were so different but even to this day it was a wonder what their relationship to each other could be.  They were too different to be brothers.  But Yuno’s magic power far exceeded Asta’s whom… far different from the norm, appeared to have no magic power what so ever.  Because of that Yuno was looked upon as the hope of the church and Asta was viewed as… well…an exception.  In a bad way.  Despite that, though Asta, as well as Yuno both sought to become the wizard king.

Asta shouted to the sky, “I’ll obtain the greatest grimoire and join the magic knights!  And eventually become the wizard king one day!”

One of the boys spat, “Only those of noble birth like aristocrats and royalty have the potential to become the wizard king.  We’re peasants and orphans and there’s no way.  You can’t even use simple magic yet.  You have zero potential and what’s more, you don’t even have prospects for a job.  All of the townspeople make fun of you, you know that right?”

Ignoring the boys jests at him, Asta immediately took off, running for the hills.  Yuno watched after him and Kalyn looked up at him, asking, “Are you going to go watch over him again?”

Yuno smirked a bit and shook his head.  He looked back to see the others had gone back inside.  He reached into the laundry basket he had been helping the sister with and pulled out a long sleeve top.  “Here you go.”

Kalyn frowned.  “Are you certain?”

“They won’t miss it.”  Yuno assured.  He handed it off and as soon as it passed between their fingers, a shimmer took place over the fabric.  She pulled it on over the tank top she was wearing and he asked, “You’ll be going with me, right?  I know it’s a large crowd, but I want you there.”

Before Kalyn could answer, one of the little boys had come out and looked in their direction.  With a confuse d  expression, he asked, “Yuno?  Are you talking to your imaginary friend again?”

Kalyn looked down sadly while Yuno replied, “Yes.  Sorry.  Did you need something?”

“Sister wants more help.”  He answered.

“Of course.”  Yuno brushed his hand along Kalyn’s arm  before hurrying back to the church.


	2. Chapter 2

March: The time the firefly dandelion fluffs float about, once a year, all around the country, 15 year olds gather to hold an awarding ceremony for grimoires.  These grimoires increase their magical powers.

Today is the day for such ceremony.

While the nuns of the church calmed and wrangled with Asta, Yuno had managed to slip away for a few moments into the study of the church and was helping Kalyn get ready.  He wrapped a poncho around her shoulders and pulled the hood up, tucking her braid inside of the cloth as he nagged, “There will be many people there and you’re easily distracted.”  He flipped the strings of the poncho up, causing the attached bells to ring.  “If I don’t hear these behind me, I’ll come looking for you, understand?”

Kalyn nodded.  “I promise not to be a distraction.”

Yuno opened up the pocket of her satchel and placed in it a small tub of food.  “I don’t know how long we’ll be there, so here’s food.  If we do get separated, sit by the entrance and I’ll find you okay?”  He cupped her cheeks, brushing his thumbs along her soft skin as he promised, “Once we get through today… I can start getting answers for you.  So please be patient with me.”

Kalyn reached her hand up, placing it on his own.  She started to open her mouth, to tell him that she didn’t need answers when the door to the study opened up and the sister frowned at Yuno.  She asked, “Yuno… why are you here alone?  Come, we need to get you ready.”  She hurried in, sweeping him around and out the door before Kalyn could say anything.

The door closed her in the shadows – alone.  But just as they’d rehearsed a million times, she waited for him by the entrance, catching his arm once he and the others headed out for the ceremony.

Just as Yuno had warned her, there were hundreds of people their age all standing around the massive hall of books, looking up at the wizard who would bestow upon them their grimoires and the keys to their power.   The sister and priest took their stands at the edge, looking upon the others while Yuno and Asta wiggled their way through the crowd – Yuno’s hand tight on hers.  It never ceased to bring her discomfort as every other being she should have bumped into just passed through her, like she didn’t exist at all.  It caused an unpleasant shock through her body and resulted in a whimper every time.

Yuno looked softly back at her, “Sorry.”

Kalyn gave him a soft smile.  “It’s okay.”

Asta looked back at him weirdly, “Sorry for what?”

Yuno looked back straight forward.  “Nothing.  I accidentally shoved someone.”

As they bumped and passed through the crowd, Kalyn’s grip on Yuno only grew tighter until she felt a bump against her other arm.  It caused a completely different feeling through her.  A shock unlike she’d ever felt before.  Her eyes widened and a gasp escaped her, causing her to completely release Yuno’s hand.  She came to a stop in the crowd and looked around, searching for the other physical presence.   She reached out at everyone, whimpering when her hand fell through them until she realized that someone was watching her.  She pulled her hood back and looked between the couple of people to see another girl staring right at her.   Based on her attire, the girl didn’t look especially wealthy but she was beautiful.  She had icy blue eyes and silver blue hair that spiraled down over her shoulder as well as a long graceful ponytail that fell down behind her back.  Her expression was surprised and she realized that must have meant that she saw Kalyn passing through others.  Kalyn asked, “Can you – “

An arm wrapped around Kalyn and pulled her back.  She turned and looked up into Yuno’s worried eyes and he softly scolded, “I thought I said not to get distracted.”

Kalyn looked back over her shoulder but too many people intercepted her line of vision and she could no longer see the girl.  Her body relaxed against his and she wrapped her arms around his slender waist, pressing her face to his chest.  His arm wrapped protectively around her body, holding her against him as she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Yuno looked up to be met with Asta’s condescending gaze.  Kalyn frowned.  Here it came again.  The burden she placed on Yuno for interacting with her.  Asta asked, “Man… aren’t you a little old to be playing that imaginary friend crap?  You can’t be standing here having conversations with yourself.”

Yuno didn’t respond, just looked away and ignored Asta.  Asta waved his hands around, “Listen to me!  I’m serious!  When we were younger it was fine.  I didn’t even mind playing along.  But it’s enough man.  We’re about to get our grimoires.”

Yuno looked back down.  “Believe what you want.   She’s real and she’s standing with us, Asta.  She can hear you.”

Asta held his hands out.  “What I should say sorry to a ghost?  Hey person who doesn’t exist!  Sorry I don’t think you’re really there…”  He swatted his hand around next to Yuno.  “Oops sorry, did I hit you?”  What Asta didn’t realize was that his hand was going through Kalyn, making her whine.  Yuno pulled her quickly away, glaring at his friend.

“Asta enough.”  Yuno barked at him.  “You’re making her uncomfortable!”

Asta stopped and looked up at him, frowning.  “You… really believe she’s there, don’t you?”

Yuno continued glaring at him and his grip tightened on Kalyn.  “She’s really here.”

Asta sighed and looked at the empty space that Yuno appeared to wrapping his arm around.  He rubbed the back of his head.  “What was her name again?”

“Kalyn.”

Asta held his hand out, feeling like an idiot.  “Kalyn.  Sorry.”

Kalyn stared at the hand sadly and looked away.  “Can we just stop?  It doesn’t matter if I’m real or not.”

“Kalyn…”  Yuno whispered.  Before he could say anything else though, whispers rose up among the crowd as some of the teens parted like the red sea.

“Look at that girl.  Those burn scars all over her body.  Do you think… that’s her?”

“You mean the girl from the news?  The crazy strong girl who survived her entire village being burned down?”

“Yeah.  Man, my ol’ man said it had to have been some kind of demon.  No magic could put the fire out… hundreds of people died.”

“Including both of her parents.”

Asta and Yuno both peeked through the herd of people to see the girl standing alone with no one within many feet of her.  It was as though she were a plague and everyone was afraid of catching it.  But she didn’t seem to care.  Her eyes were hard, despite being surrounded by harsh, deep burn scars.  They reached all the way down her body, covering most of her skin.

Kalyn whispered, “How did she survive?”

Yuno  absently responded, “She must have been born with crazy strong magic.”

Suddenly a booming voice filled the hall, pulling their attention to the top of the library tower.  “Welcome young men and women!  You each will begin walking down a new path starting today!  I wish you faith, hope, and love.  I am the master of this grimoire tower.  We haven’t had a wizard king from this area nor have we had one achieve greatness by joining the magic knights.  I sincerely wish that someone among you will become the wizard king.  But now it is time for the awarding of the grimoires!”

The mustard wizard raised his hands and on cue, books of the shelves as high as the sky began to glow and they started flying around in search of their selected masters.  As each book found the correct set of hands, whispers and conversations began to fill the room.  Some of the crowd turned to their neighbors and began comparing books while other gleamed happily to themselves or simply showed off their precious award.  

Kalyn clung eagerly to Yuno’s waist, waiting for his book to find him.  Finally a book came down to him and hovered before him for the longest time.  His eyes widened a bit with hope and anxiousness.  Kalyn’s grip tightened and she whispered, “There it is, Yuno… your grimoire…”  She hesitated.  “Do you… really believe you can use it… to get answers about me?”

“I don’t think directly…”  Yuno answered.  “But if I increase my power enough… it will open any door I need to find out.  Just as I promised you I would.”

Before he reached out to take his grimoire, they were distracted by Asta shouting, “M-My grimoires not coming!”

The entire tower fell into silence, all eyes trained on him now.

The woman with the silver blue hair covered her mouth, a soft pout of empathy escaping her.

The scarred woman glared at the boy, giving a coy scoff before shoving her grimoire into a pouch on her hip and turning away.

The master wizard looked down at them with a frown and then scratched his beard, ordering, “Try again next year.”

Asta cried out in disbelief while everyone started laughing.  But in the next moment that failure was completely outshined by the glowing brilliance of the grimoire in front of Yuno and Kalyn.  A golden light radiated from the symbol on the book – instead of a three leaf clover, it was a four leaf.

Whispers rose again: “The four leaf from legend?”

“The first wizard king also received one…”

“It supposedly had great power!  That grimoire has god luck within it, right?”

“That orphan rat got that grimoire!?”

Yuno looked at the book and then up at all the on looks and boldly stated, “I’ll become the wizard king.”

Just like that the entire crowd began cheering with excitement and congratulations except for a few who seemed to be opposed to him having that grimoire.

Asta suddenly stood to his feet in front of him.  “Yuno!  Just you wait!  I’ll catch up soon enough!  After all… I’m your rival!”

Just like that, they all started laughing at them again, comments shooting up –

“Big talk from a guy who didn’t even receive a grimoire!”

“You, his rival?  Talk about clueless!”

But Asta wasn’t deterred.  He just glared Yuno down.

Without batting an eye, Yuno turned away, taking Kalyn’s hand and pulling her along as he retorted, “There’s no way.”  And they quickly made their way out of the crowd.

As Kalyn trotted along behind him, she happened to glance over her shoulder and back into the crowd, feeling a dark knot in the pit of her stomach.  Something about the atmosphere felt wrong.  Bad.  Dangerous maybe.  

She squeezed Yuno’s hand again as they hurried out.


	3. Chapter 3

Yuno and Kalyn lingered outside the tower.  He rested with his back against the crimson brick while Kalyn had sat down, eating the lunch he’d packed for her.  He watched her for a while before looking up at the sun between the trees around them.  He asked her, “Does it taste good?”

Kalyn let out a purr of delight.  “Fantastic!  Hits the spot!”  She looked up at him and asked, “Didn’t you bring yourself a lunch?”

Yuno shook his head.  “I’m sure the sisters and priest will cook us a large meal upon our return.  I’ll try to sneak you some.”

Kalyn looked down at her nearly empty food bowl.  She whispered slowly, “I think… someone in there…could see me…”

Yuno’s eyes widened a bit and he asked, “Is that why you had stopped earlier?  Did you recognize them?”

Kalyn shook her head and closed her eyes.  “I didn’t recognize her… and the crowd moved too quickly… I didn’t catch sight of her again… but she was looking at me… and I felt her bump into me.  It was… so strange.  Unnatural actually.  You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to make contact with… so it was really… startling. ”

Yuno knelt down in front of her and rested his hand on her shoulder.  “But this is good.  In all these years, it’s the first other person you’ve been able to reach.  This can’t be anything except good.  If nothing else… it’s a lead.  When we return, we’ll find her and we’ll talk to her.  Maybe she could tell us who you are and where you came from.”

Kalyn looked up at him.  “No matter her answer, Yuno, I – “

“What luck.   Just the punk we were looking for.”

Yuno turned towards the two men who stood further down the path and Kalyn hurried to her feet behind him.  “Who are they?”

Yuno narrowed his eyes.  “What do you want?”

The one guy next to the taller blond seemed more nervous about what was going on, but the other guy seemed aggressive, glaring hatefully at Yuno.  The shorter, darker haired one tried arguing, “Let’s not do this okay?  It’s a little much, right?”

“No.”  The blond barked, “Today was supposed to be  _ our _  day and he ruined that!  A simple commoner!  And  _ he _  got the four leaf clover!?  I will make him pay.”  The man held his hand out, opening up a book without ever breaking eye contact with Yuno.

Yuno, however, remained unmoving nor did he seem bothered.  But Kalyn gripped his sleeve tighter.  “Yuno…?  Is he going to fight you?”  She made a noise as he shifted her around, moving her behind his back.

He softly ordered, “Stay behind me.”

In the next moment, fire wrapped around the man holding his grimoire towards them and the yellow orange flames suddenly shot forward as he shouted, “I’ll burn that book until it’s nothing but ash!”

Without opening his own book or seeming bothered at all, Yuno circled his hand in the air and then pointed upward as wind wrapped around the two of them, causing the fire to go around them, leaving nothing but a warm brush on their skin.  She held tight to the back of his shirt, but she didn’t move at all as he ordered.

The blond man gasped, “He… dispelled my attack without even opening his grimoire!”  Now with a much more shocked expression, he ordered his companion.  “G-go on!  You try!”  The man shook his head but the blond kept yelling.  “I said do it!!!”

The other guy started to pull out his book when suddenly chains broke out from the tower  hall walls.  They completely wrapped around the blond man and slammed him into the wall so hard that a sickening crack could be heard from the back of his head and blood began to run down his face.

A man stepped out of the shadows, laughing.  He had long black shabby looking hair and he scolded, “We can’t have that book getting all burned up now can we?”  He looked over at the blond and mocked, “Trying to resist would be a waste of your time.  My magic binding chain formation spell blocks it’s users movement and magic.”

Yuno glared at the new man and demanded, “Who are you?  What do you want?”

The man scoffed, “I suppose a village boy wouldn’t know but until very recently, I was very well known among the magic knight squad s as Chain Magic Revchi.  But they disbanded me from their illustrious group and now I am naught but a humble thief…”

Immediately following his words, chains shot up out of the ground.  Kalyn gasped and tried to grab Yuno, but he shoved her shoulder, pushing her back out of the way just as they wrapped around him, pinning his arms down.  Kalyn screamed, “Yuno!”

The man laughed as Yuno’s grimoire fell to the ground and a chain slithered towards it.  “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be taking this grimoire of yours…”

Kalyn gasped when the book started to be dragged back to the awful man and she reached out, grabbing the grimoire and holding it back.  “You can’t have it!”

Revchi gasped in surprised as the grimoire seemed disappear from existence, despite the chain being wrapped around it still.  But now it just looked like the magic chain was wrapped around thin air.  He narrowed his eyes.  “What in the…?”

Yuno shouted at her, “Kalyn!  Don’t!  Let it go!”

Revchi growled, “Is there an invisible girl there?  What the hell?”  He threw his hand out to the side and suddenly the chain released the grimoire and shot forward instead.  It slammed into Kalyn’s stomach and she let out a whimper of pain, dropping to her knees and dropping the book.  Once she let go of it, the object shimmered and returned to visual perception.  “So I was right.  Some invisible girl with the power to turn other objects invisible…”

Revchi spun his hand around the chains that hit Kalyn wrapped around her, pinning her awkwardly to the ground.  He walked over and picked the book up.  He smirked down at the empty place the chains had wrapped around.

Yuno snarled, “Let her go!  Stay away from her!”

Revchi ordered, “Despell yourself girl.  The jig is up.”

Kalyn growled, glaring up at the man who couldn’t see her.

Yuno spat at the guy, “She isn’t using a spell!”

Revchi scoffed.  “You’re not fooling me.”  He raised his foot to stomp on her, despite Yuno shouting his protests but his foot went right through the air like nothing was really there.  “What the…”

Yuno continued glare as he explained, “I told you… she’s not using a magic…She’s just a girl… but only I can see her… she’s unable to interact with anyone else.  Only physical objects.”

“What  _ is _  she?”  He demanded.

Yuno looked down and whispered, “We don’t know… we’re trying to find out.”

“Good.”  Revchi scoffed, tossing the grimoire up and down in his hand.  “You didn’t need this anyway.”

Yuno asked him, “Why are you doing this?  Why bother stealing it?  Grim – “

“Grimoires must be used by their chosen masters.  Yes, village boy, I’m well aware.  That said, there are plenty of black market collectors would pay a fortune for a piece like this.  You think you’re chosen just because you got the four leaf grimoire but I have a news flash for you.  You’re just a snot-nosed kid who doesn’t know where he belongs.  Your legend is going to end before it even begins!”  He threw his free hand out as chains shot towards Yuno but this time they had sharp chain spikes on the end.

Kalyn screamed, “Yuno!!!”  Fear as dark and cold as a pick from hell stabbed through her chest.  She couldn’t lose him.  Not the only person she’d ever known.  If she lost him then she’d – 

A crash slammed into  the hall wall and in the next moment, a familiar small boy sprang up and shouted, “What do you think you’re doing, thief!?”

Revchi looked over at Asta and calculated, “Hm… oh you’re the boy that wasn’t even awarded a grimoire…”

“Very knowing of you!”  Asta played, “Yes!  I am that sad, pathetic boy!  A grimoire is a precious thing that belongs to it’s master!  Give it back to Yuno, you jerk!”

Revchi went back to laughing hysterically.  He pushed his long black bangs up, showing more of the scar on his face as he growled, “The outside world is a place where crooked deeds can be overlooked.  But it looks like you’ll all be dead before you can see that world…”

Yuno ordered, “Asta, Run!”

Asta ignored him and yelled back, “I’m not going to run away from this disgraced jerkwad!”

“I may be reduced to being a thief but I used to be a magic knight.  A mere boy like you is no match for me!”  He threw his hand out, chains flying at Asta.  For most of the chains, Asta was able to jump and dive between them, avoiding most hits, but what he didn’t realize was that he was being surrounded.  All at once all the chains came at him from all directions, all of them striking him at once.  It was a one hit KO and Asta hit the wall and sank to the ground.

The man walked up to Asta and scoffed, “I’m going to let you in on a little secret… these chains tell me the magical powers of those who touch them.  And you… have absolutely no magical power within you.  No wonder you can’t use magic at all!  You were probably born that way.”  Revchi pushed his heel into Asta’s shoulder as his head drooped.  “I never thought someone like you existed.  When I think about what you’ve been through and what you’ll face in the future, I feel pity for you.  I’m sure that you friend, the great genius, makes fun of you as well.”

Kalyn watched as Asta’s head lowered, the broken, defeated expression in his eyes causing her heart to ache.

The man continued harassing him, “In this world, you won’t be able to do anything!  Nothing at all!  You should give up on everything.  You were born to be a loser…!”

“Hey.  Who are you calling a loser?”  Yuno demanded sharply.  “Asta is no loser!  He is my rival! ”

With that, Asta reached up and grabbed the guys foot.  “I’m not done yet!”  He suddenly shoved him off.  “Sorry for showing you a pathetic side of me, Yuno.  Hold on while I kick this guys’ butt!”  Right after shoving him back, a book suddenly formed in between them.  It was covered in charring and dirt and glowed an ominous red.

“A…grimoire…?”  Asta asked.

Yuno grinned, “I knew it.  Asta not being chosen?  There’s no way that could happen!”

The book flew open and out of it flew a massive black sword that looked at beaten and worn as the book.  But it looked like it was made out of massive, heavy metal.  On the cover of the matching book, barely visible, but a five leaf clover.

Kalyn’s eyes widened as she looked at it.  In folklore, the leaves all represented their own belief – faith, hope, and love.  A four leaf clover added good luck.  But a five leaf clover adds…

…the devil…!

As though he were born to do it, Asta raised the sword and slashed Revchi as though he were nothing, hitting him and sending him flying for the other tower wall.  He slammed into it with a sickening thud, denting the brick in completely.

The chains wrapping around Yuno and Kalyn released and the two of them stood back up.  Kalyn whispered, “The grimoire of anti-magic…”

Yuno brushed his hand on top of Kalyn’s head as he walked over to his friend.  “Asta.  You saved me again.  I’ll repay you for this someday.  Do you remember our promise?”  He asked.

Asta grinned back.  “I didn’t think  _ you _  remembered…”

They both reached out and bumped fists, shouting, “Let’s see who becomes the wizard king!”

From the top of the tower, the girl with silver hair looked down at them, a soft smirk on her lips.  “Interesting…”


End file.
